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Roget has achieved his purpose

Gary Aboud’s challenge to Ancel Roget’s threat of a boycott of the infamous “one per cent” is understandable but totally unrealistic. As a crusader for social justice of many years standing, Mr Aboud is fully familiar with the futility of trying to do the things that he challenges Roget to do.

Mr Roget has been fighting against these very things from the platform of the trade union movement all his life with little success, in the face of vilification from the public, as Mr Aboud is aware and has been himself doing, to his credit. Every time Roget calls for public action he is treated to a barrage of angry criticism. His call for a boycott is as a result of the failure of the authorities to act, which leaves social activism as the only recourse. Mr Aboud well knows this.

In the Bahamas, four former government officials have been arrested and charged for corrupt activities. On the basis of that, one can only conclude that no public official in Trinidad has ever done anything wrong. Our record is categorical in that regard.

Apparently, none of the issues referred to by Mr Aboud have ever happened here, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, and repeated promises by every incoming politician to correct the failures of the past. What then is one to do—continue whistling in the wind without hope of remedy?

Mr Roget has achieved the desired effect, to focus the nation’s attention on the failings of our leaders and their incompetence so as to generate a response from the people, including Mr Aboud, to begin the movement against the increasing disparity in the society.